Sync w/ multi units

Hmm. I thought it was an Mpeg file you were having issue with, but are they Jpegs that you are running at a fast rate that is giving you issues?

mpeg files and hanging upand not timed together as well as our jpeg links. the third song both units are playing out of sync with the others as well.

the first song, seems to run fine. it is just the second and third songs. then it seems as if the units decide to wake up and work together. the second song has jpeg files that are in a link then jump to a mpeg file. which seem to be running ok. since they are an abstract file so not a real issue they are out of sync. BUT, the third song it is a BIG distraction when not in sync.

so it is both mpeg files & jpegs not syncing

We've got new software we are about to release that I believe may speed up Jpeg performance as a benefit from fixing some other issues.

On the songs that are having issues, how many layers do you have running? Is there any chance there is something playing on the other layer(s) you're not using? I know it is easy to have something hidden that you didn't realize was running.

I would try the setup cue for the Mpeg as I mentioned and then see where we are.

How long are the clips? Are they off from the start or drifting off after a while?

the clips are off from the start, mpeg.

as for the other layers. i have been careful and not having any other files running. but, i will double check that.

i will try and re-do the cue and set it up as you have suggested. it just seems not good for this to happen at this time, since after 100 shows, we now have this kind of issues.

will keep you informed as i try this tonight and what happens.

If they are all off from the start then the setup cue should solve the issue.

By chance are some of these brand new units where they might have newer hardware that has better performance? Another reason the setup cue is a good way to go to eliminate that going forward.

yes, several of these units are new units.

better performance for whom? at this point, this would not be a good thing to hear.

Computing hardware changes at least every 12-18 months. This is true for most all media servers. There is no way around it as they stop making old hardware when they release new hardware.

The good thing is that the performance always improves. We work very hard to make sure that there aren't any issues that negatively affect performance and to minimize the observability.

However, we aren't going to artificially try and hold the performance back either as most people want and need the better performance that the new hardware brings. This makes it easier to do the larger Collages without the resolution and encoding being as big of an issue, or using all 3 layers at once in a Collage as well.

As long as you trigger things in the way we recommend then it doesn't really matter what mixture of different hardware generations you have.

so what you are saying as product changes, then the way we have recorded older shows, now we have to go back and re-record our shows to fit the upgraded hardware. I think that is not good and sad. i understand and gladly take new and better products, but if it is now a cause of mixing older units with old hardware mixed with new hardware and either unit takes it own way of setting up files, something should be rethought out as far as adding upgrades.

if this is the path that is to be taken, then it calls for vendors to make sure all proucts are the same version of hardware on each and every gig. that is will be a nightmare for small companies paying $30k plus for each fixture that can only run with matching fixtures of the same birth.

it will for sure mean rethinking what type of server we think about using in the future. i have enjoyed and liked all the DL2s up until last weeks & this weeks performances. with the notice of this issue last week. making sure that i could recreate it this week. now, knowing it is an issue within fixture to fixture.

I will look at the how you are asking the cue to be setup and then look at each song. but, if this is the case. then every time i rent DL2 units, i will have to first check birth of fixture - being of the same date, then go back and look at how each fixture reads files. to much to do with in such little times, better use a external server and get video companies to supply projectors.

guess, this is making our decision for our new show in June very easy now.

We have recommended since the introduction of Collage Generator, a year ago, that to ensure proper sync that a setup cue should be used. This isn't something we have just changed.

As I said, if you can follow the couple guidelines we suggest then it doesn't matter what mixture of computer hardware you have!

This issue doesn't have anything to do with the integration, it has to do with the ever evolving nature of computer hardware. You're going to have the same issue with just about media server you choose to replace it. When computer manufacturers obsolete hardware then no one really has options about continuing to build with the identical hardware indefinitely.

At this point I think it would probably be easier to discuss over the phone.

I'm out of the country right now, but if you want to Private Message me a contact number I'll be happy to give you a call from here.